Between philanthropy and leadership

A few days ago I received an invitation to speak at a conference organized by one of our mission stations in the northern part of my country. Why preparing for the program I remembered a case involving a member of my mission which I have promised to deal with on the very day I will be traveling to the conference where I will be speaking for two days. Given the arrangements for the program, I need to arrive in the city a day before the conference takes off. This means I will have to leave without attending to the issue with the said member. It also means that the said member will have to look for an alternative way to solve his problem or bear the inevitable. They have been asked to evict their apartment for failing to pay the rent for 6 months. I have promised that I will give him half of the 6 months rent before I leave for my journey to the conference city. But now that I will be leaving a day earlier, it means I might not be able to do as promised which might create ill feelings in the mind of the person concerned. The burden to leave without attending to the said issue became so heavy in my heart that I have to find a way to delegate the assignment to my wife by making the money available for her to solve the issue with the member.

The relationship between a leader and followers is made cordial by the spirit of philanthropy. True leaders must be true philanthropists. No man can lead effectively without a dosage of philanthropic spirit. There's a direct relationship between philanthropy and good leadership. A true leader must be a person who can give sacrificially for the advancement of the people he/she is leading. Only a true giver can be a true leader. He that would keep giving would keep leading. Loyalty comes with a high price. If you don't have anything to give, you won't have anyone to lead. Our skills, talents, money, and time is what will berth the change we need in others. The best of life is not about the duration but the donation.

Philanthropy is the giving of care, love, and compassion to others. It is an action done with the ultimate aim of ameliorating the suffering and pains of others. We cannot influence our followers' characters without first influencing their living status. Without giving, influencing others becomes a tall dream. This is because no "one cares how much you know until they know how much you care to give". Even at home, a man's influence on his family is tied to how much he cares for the people in his home. If you think you are leading check who is following you, otherwise you are just taking a walk. Most men lost the ability to lead their families because they lost their ability to give. How can people follow you when you have no empathy for your followers? Philanthropy is the nexus between leadership and followership. It is simply the exchange of value, ideas, skills, money, and time. Humans are so rational, if you must lead them you must cultivate the philanthropic spirit. Leadership is all about selflessness. Selfish people can never be good leaders. For us to see the changes we want in society we must all eschew selfishness, materialism, and individualism.

In a world where the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, giving and caring seem to be the leverage for tolerance and peaceful coexistence. We need to give to grow as an individual or people. Givers are leaders, if you cannot give, you cannot lead. The world is deeply enmeshed in shameful, selfish, primitive accumulation of wealth. They accumulate wealth for their children of unborn generations. "Greed and avarice are the order of the day". They siphoned the Commonwealth of the people for their aggrandizement. They seem to be hospitable in their dealings but never philanthropic. They are obsessed and possessed with materialism. No one wants to let go. Receiving and not giving is taking a central place in our culture. This is a sad reality and very saddening.

Philanthropy or giving is an obligation, a moral obligation to mankind. The world came into existence by the selfless giving of our creator. If we're fortunate enough to be able to put food on our table, have a roof over our heads, and clothes on our body, we must by extension give consideration to others who may not be as fortunate as us. We must be generous with everything. Be generous with your generosity. You may not have to give money but rather, your time and care. If you have a unique and special talent, use it to help others in a unique and special way. If you are fortunate to owe facilities, lend them out for others to use and benefit from. Every piece of equipment has some purpose to serve some other people. No life is sweeter than that of exchange. Can you pray and effect a change, then go on in prayer. Do you have the power and influence to better the lives of people living around you; go ahead and use it. We can all make a difference in our little ways. We don't need to be millionaires before we can support others. The higher the propensity for service to others the greater the tendency for success.